For those New Jerseyans that are parents or have neighbors with small children, they have almost certainly become aware of the very popular “bounce houses” that are features of birthday parties across the State. Despite regular news stories from across the country touting the safety hazards of these rides, they continue to rise in popularity, as they can essentially bring an amusement park feel into your backyard.

In fact, under the laws of New Jersey, bounce houses are considered “amusement rides”, and companies renting these rides (or setting them up in their own locations) are governed under similar laws as those governing amusement parks, carnivals and other ride providers. However, if you own your own bounce house, operating it for a special occasion, say in your backyard for a child’s birthday party, does not count as an amusement ride so you don’t need to worry about legal regulations. In short, you won’t need any kind of permit or approval if you’re only operating one inflatable, but of course you should still practice safety precautions.

Regulations on Bounce House Rentals

New Jersey has arguably the strictest regulation around bounce houses in the country. You may appreciate these regulations if you are a parent, considering the safety implications. Of course, more regulation will inevitably lead to a higher cost passed to the consumer. We’ve listed some of the regulations below, and you can judge for yourself:

• All Inflatable Rides must recieve yearly certifications.
  Certifications must be recieved 30 Days Prior to Operation.
  The Cost is ~$300 per ride, per year.
  Rides that are pre-approved models from pre-approved manufacturers can receive a “Type Certification”.
• Bounce Houses Rental NJ’s website states that a type certification is a “complete review of the design of the ride including all structural, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic drive and control features and restraint and other protective features.”
• Customized rides or those from non-approved manufacturers/models need to received individual certifications.
• It’s unclear whether these certifications require visual/physical inspection of the rides or if they are just rubber stamped based on make/model number.
• All “incidents” must be recorded by the bounce house rental company. Major/serious incidents or injuries need to be report to the Department of Community Affairs within 24 hours.
• Essentially, what this means is if you’re operating several rides for an event such as, say, a fall pumpkin patch or some kind of holiday activity center during the winter months, you’ll need to make sure all of your individual “rides” meet these requirements. These rules still apply if you’re a company looking to rent out bounce houses; every ride you own must pass the test before you can rent it out to families for residential use.

Recent New Jersey Bounce House News

Biggest Bounce House in the World

The biggest news regarding bounce houses in New Jersey in recent years is that in April of 2019, Big Bounce America visited Brooklyn in the Tri-State Area to set up shop with the biggest bounce houses in the world. Several inflatables covered a huge area at Aviator Sports, where kids and adults alike were able to enjoy bounce houses, inflatable slides, inflatable basketball hoops, and far more. There were even inflatable obstacle courses for kids of all ages and sizes to enjoy. This event was legendary due to its size, and the fact that this was the tour’s only stop in the Tri-State Area. Hundreds of amusement ride enthusiasts poured in from nearby New Jersey, making this the state’s largest inflatable event in recent history.

The Lawyers Get on the Case

In other recent news, the New Jersey Injury Lawyers Blog brought to its readers’ attention that even when bounce houses follow all the legal guidelines, mishaps can still occur that end up with kids or teens getting hurt. In May of 2019, this lawyer’s group spoke of many times when strong winds unhooked the inflatable from its tethers and blew it around in the air, with children inside, until it crashed to the ground and injured all the kids. This news article serves to warn parents and guardians of the dangers involved in inflatable fun, even if all rules and regulations are followed well.

Conclusion

If you are a consumer looking to rent a bounce house, you can use the above info to make sure your bounce house rental company is following all the relevant guidelines.If you live in New Jersey and want to put up an inflatable bounce house and water rides, be careful that you follow all rules set forth by the Department of Community Affairs. It will ensure everyone stays as safe as possible, and protect you from any liabilities should anyone actually get hurt.